Heavy duty liquid detergents

ABSTRACT

Liquid detergent compositions comprise, by weight, (a) 10 to 40% of a mixture of a water-soluble alkyl mononuclear aryl sulphonate detergent having an average of 8 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and a multi-branched alkyl polyoxyethylene ethanol having 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and an average of 5 to 30 ethylene oxide units, the ratio of the alkyl aryl sulphonate to the alkyl polyethoxamer being from 10:1 to 1:4 by weight with at least 3% of each material present in the composition, (b) 5 to 20% of a water-soluble alkanolamine having 2 or 3 carbon atoms in the or each alkanol group, and (c) 1 to 15% of a water-soluble hydrotropic sulphonate, the balance being wholly or predominantly water, the compositions having an alkaline pH and being in the form of substantially homogeneous pourable liquids at room temperature. Specified alkyl groups in the alkyl mononuclear aryl sulphonates used are nonyl, dodecyl, pentadecyl, n-decyl, ceryl, and tridecyl groups. The sulphonates are used as sodium, potassium, ammonium, lower alkylolamine salts and alkaline earth metal salts, e.g. magnesium, have at least 85% purity and may contain sodium or potassium sulphate.  Examples of alcohols used to obtain the alkyl polyoxyethylene ethanols are 2,4,5,5,7-pentamethyl-1-octanol; 2,3,5,7-tetramethyl-1-nonanol; 3,5-di-ethyl-1-octanol and 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-1-nonanol. Preferably multi-branched tri-decyl polyoxyethylene ethanol is used.  The hydrotropic sulphonates used are alkali metal organic sulphonated salts having a lower alkyl group up to 6 carbon atoms, e.g. sodium or potassium xylene, toluene, ethylbenzene or isopropyl benzene sulphonates, and isomers thereof. Alternatively, lower alkyl sulphate salts having 5 or 6 carbon atoms may be used. Mono, di- or tri-ethanolamine and isopropanolamine are exemplary of the alkanolamines.  The pH of the composition is at least 9 and may be adjusted by adding alkali, e.g. NaOH.  Soil suspending materials, e.g. carboxy lower alkyl cellulose, cellulose sulphate, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and castor wax may be incorporated into the composition.  Preferably the composition also contains 1 to 10% of an alkylolamide, e.g. those having 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the acyl radical, each alkylol group having one to three carbon atoms, and include lauric, cupric, myristic and coconut di-ethanolamides, monoethanolamides and isopropanolamides which may be condensed with one to two moles of ethylene oxide. Other ingredients specified are perfumes; colouring materials; corrosion or tarnish inhibitors; sequestering agents; germicides; softening or bleaching agents; fluorescent dyes; alcohols, (e.g. fatty alcohols, ethanol), and urea.

United States Patent 7 Claims. (a. 252-152 The present invention relatesto a detergent composition comprising in combination a higher alkyl arylsulfonate detergent, a multi-branched higher alkyl polyoxyethyleneethanol, an alkanolamine and a sulfonated solubilizing or hydrotropicagent in an aqueous medium, as hereinafter described and claimed.

More particularly, it has been found that -a liquid detergentcomposition of superior qualities can be formulated which comprisesessentially about 10 to 40% by weight of a mixture of a water-solublehigher alkyl mononuclear aryl sulfonate salt material having about 8 to15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and a multibranched alkylpolyoxyethylene ethanol material having about 8 to 18 carbon atoms insaid alkyl group and an average of about to 30 ethylene oxide groups,the ratio of said sulfonate to polyethoxamer being from about :1 toabout 1:4 by weight with at least about 3% of each material present inthe composition, about 5 to 20% by Weight of a water-solublealkanolamine having 2 to 3 carbons in the alkanol group, about 1 to byWeight of a Water-soluble sulfonated hydrotropic salt material and thebalance being primarily water, said composition having an alkaline pHand being in the form of a substantially homogeneous, pourable liquid atroom temperature. A feature of the invention relates to said compositionhaving heavy-duty properties Without an inorganic builder contentcharacterized by alkali metal higher alkyl benzene sulfonate,multi-branched tridecyl polyoxyethylene ethanol, alkali metal sulfonatedhydrotropic salt and triethanolamine proportioned as herein described incombination with a minor amount of a soil-suspending material to form asubstantially homogeneous and stable, pourable liquid exhibiting a highlevel of foaming and detergency properties in use. Various otherdistinctive aspects of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing description.

Such product exhibits many desirable characteristics with regard to bothphysical properties and performance in use. As to its physicalproperties, the composition is homogeneous, pourable, and free-flowingfrom the container as manufactured and after aging. It exhibits a highdegree of stability upon storage at normal room temperature of about 70F. over a period of many months without any appreciable precipitation orformation of immiscible layers. It has appreciable stability underadverse temperature conditions. It can be subjected to elevatedtemperatures of the order 110 F., or cooled to 40 F. or below, and theliquid is in a substantially homogeneous form when returned to roomtemperature. As a result, the consumer can utilize it conveniently bythe addition to a laundering bath or the like of small portions whichwill have practically the same composition. The composition having themain ingredients will normally be a clear solution. The soil-suspendingmaterial or other added ingredients may render the final producttranslucent to opaque but are maintained in colloidal solution or finesuspension without precipitation so as to insure the practical use of astable and homogeneous liquid. The product may be employed in anysuitable container or packaging material.

In performance, the product exhibits a particularly high level ofwashing power suitable for the laundering of soiled natural andsynthetic materials in washing machines and in other cleansingoperations. It exhibits effective detergency in both soft and hardwater, particularly with the compositions containing soil-suspendingmaterial. The detersive power is comparable to heavy-duty liquidscontaining substantial amounts of water-soluble inorganic builder saltssuch as phosphates. A high level of foaming power can be obtained insuitable washing concentrations in soft and hard Water also.

In the formulation of the products of the present invention, there are anumber of factors which are of consid eration. The properties areaifected by these factors which are properly selected and correlated toprovide the product hereafter claimed. Among such considerations are thechemical constitution of the materials and their effects in combinationwhich are to be integrated with the suitable ratios and/or proportionsthereof so as to produce compositions having the desired properties.

With regard to the higher alkyl mononuclear aryl sulfonate detergent, itis preferred to use the higher alkyl benzene sulfonates, though othersimilar detergents having a mononuclear aryl group derived from tolueneor xylene may be also used. The aryl nucleus has at least one alkylsubstituent having an average number of about 8 to 15 carbons andpreferably about 12 to 15 carbons. The alkyl group may be branched suchas nonyl, dodecyl and pentadecyl groups including mixtures thereof whichare derived from polymers of lower mono-olefins, e.'g., polypropylene. Acommercial tridecyl benzene sulfonate contains a mixture of propylenepolymers averaging about 13 carbons. The alkyl group may bestraight-chained also such as the n-decyl, keryl, dodecyl and tridecylgroups.

The higher alkyl aryl sulfonate detergent material (including mixtures)is employed preferablyin the form of its alkali metal salt, particularlythe sodium salt. Other water-soluble salts may be used also such as thepotassium salt, ammonium salt, lower alkylolamine salts including themono-, diand tri-ethanolarnine salts, alkaline earth metal saltsincluding the magnesium and similar salts, and the like includingsuitable mixtures thereof. While the composition is a liquid containingionized or dissociated salts in solution, reference to a particular saltabove includes the addition of such salt to the mixture or its formationby neutralization or ion interchange during or after manufacture on thebasis of its solubility in the liquid. It is understood that there maybe small amounts of water-soluble inorganic salts such as sodium orpotassium sulfate in the sulfonated detergent (and hydrotropic salt)resulting from the method of manufacture. In general, these inorganicsulfate salts and the like should be maintained at as low aconcentration as practicable. Examples of desired sulfonate materialshave a purity of at least about by weight, preferably over by weight.

The alkyl polyethoxamer is prepared usually by the reaction of thehigher aliphatic alcohol having 8 to 18 carbons with a predeterminedproportion within the range of 5 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide in orderto obtain a Patented Nov. 1, i966 product having the desired physicalproperties and performance characteristics. Optimum effects are obtainedwith polyethoxamers, preferably with 10 to 20 moles ethylene oxide, ofmulti-branched higher alcohols, preferably containing 11 to 15 carbons,such as produced by the Oxo process known in the art. This processinvolves the reaction of a multi-branched olefin of 7-17 carbons (e.g.tri-, tetra-, and penta-propylene, di-isobutylene) with carbon monoxideand hydrogen to form the corresponding aldehyde, followed by reductionto the corresponding primary alcohol. Similar alcohols may be obtainedby other processes however. Examples of suitable primary multi-branchedalcohols are 2,4,5,5,7 pentamethyl 1- octanol; 2,3,5,7 tetramethyl 1nonanol; 3,5-di-ethyl-1- octanol; 2,4,6,8 tetramethyl 1 nonanol, and thelike. It is preferred to use the polyethoxamer of tridecyl alcohol(corresponding to alcohol produced from tetrapropylene and/ortri-isobutylene by the Oxo process) which has been found to giveparticularly outstanding results. The optimum proportion of condensedethylene oxide varies with the type of alcohol so as to produce asuitable water-soluble derivative having the desired solubilizing,detersive and foaming effects. As indicated, the preferred proportion ofethylene oxide to alcohol corresponds to the reaction product of anaverage of 10 to 20 moles ethylene oxide with tridecyl alcohol.

The water-soluble sulfonated hydrotropic salts are usually the alkalimetal organic sulfonated (including sulfated) salts having a lower alkylgroup up to about 6 carbons. It is preferred to employ an alkyl arylsulfonate having up to 3 carbons in a lower alkyl group such as thesodium and potassium xylene, toluene, ethylbenzene and isopropyl benzenesulfonates. Sulfonates made from' xylene include orthoxylene sulfonate,metaxylene sulfonate, paraxylene sulfonate and ethylbenzene sulfonate.Commercial xylene sulfonates usually contain metaxylene sulfonate as themain ingredient. Analyses of typical commercial products show about4050% metaxylene sulfonate, 10-35% orthoxylene sulfonate and 15-30%paraxylene sulfonate with 0.20% ethylbenzene sulfonate. Any suitableisomeric mixture may be employed, however. Suitable lower alkyl sulfatesalts having about 5 to 6 carbons in the alkyl group may be employedalso such as the alkali metal n-arnyl and n-hexyl sulfates. The use ofan amount of hydrotrope in excess of the amount desired to improve thephysical properties is not helpful since it tends to add additional saltto an already concentrated system.

The alkanolamines have one or more hydroxyalkyl groups of 2 to 3carbons, such as mono-, dior tri-ethanolamine, isopropanolamine or thelike. It is preferred to employ the triethanolamine which in commercialform may contain small amounts of monoand di-ethanolamine. Thealkanolamine used is considered to be essentially in free form so as tobe available for its necessary contribution to the physical propertiesand performance. Where alkylolamine detersive salts are employed, anexcess of alkanolamine should be used or the pH adjusted with causticsoda or the like so as to release or otherwise render the alkanolamineeffective in the composition. In general, the pH of the finalconcentrated liquid is at least about 9, usually within the range of 9.5to 12, and preferably from 10 to 11.5.

It has been found that a suitable soil-suspending material may beincorporated and stabilized in these formulations. The addition of asoil-suspending material converts the system to a more complex one whichhas improved detersive efficiency in washing operations and will usuallyrender the final product translucent to opaque in appearance. Ingeneral, the soil-suspending agent is a hydrophilic colloid which isclassified as water-soluble (including water-dispersible) and ismaintained in colloidal solution or fine suspension in the liquidproduct. It is preferred to use the alkali metal salt of a carboxy loweralkyl cellulose having up to 3 carbons in the alkyl group, such as thesodium and potassium salt of carboxymethylcellulose. The commercialgrade of sodium carboxymethylcellulose and the like may be employed.Other known water-soluble cellulosic material are the lower alkyl andhydroxy alkyl ethers having up to 3 carbons in the alkyl group such asmethylcellulose, ethylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose. Suitablecellulose sulfate materials may be employed also. The soil-suspendingmaterial is a minor amount, usually within the range of 0.1 to 5%preferably 0.1-2% of the product.

Other types of soil-suspending agents may be employed such as thewater-soluble vinyl polymers. Examples are water-soluble polyvinylalcohol which may contain minor amounts of polyvinyl acetate ascommercially made. Water-soluble polyvinyl polymeric amides such aspolyvinylpyrrolidone of suitable molecular weight may be employed also.Various materials or mixtures may be employed which assist inmaintaining the soil-suspending materials in suspension or dispersion inthe liquid. Suitable mixtures of cellulosic compounds, or a mixture of acellulosic compound with a vinyl polymer, or a mixture of a cellulosiccompound with castor wax, or any combination thereof, may be employed asknown in the art.

The desirable qualities of the product are a result of the mutualeffects or inter-action of the ingredients in proper proportions in thecombination. The alkyl benzene sulfonate detergent, the polyethoxamer,the alkylolamine and'the hydrotrope all contribute to the desiredproperties of the system supplemented by the soil-suspending agent whenemployed. As indicated, the total amount of sulfonate detergent andpolyethoxamer is within the range of 10 to 40%, preferably 20 to 30% ofthe liquid. The ratio of sulfonate to polyethoxamer is selected from therange of about 10:1 to 1:4, preferably 5:1 to 1:1 with at least about 3%of each in the liquid. The alkylolamine is about 5 to 20%, preferably7-12% and the hydrotrope is about 1-15%, preferably 1-7%. In general,the combination of the sulfonate detergent and polyethoxamer yieldsimproved detergency as compared with similar products having only one ofthese two materials in the same total concentration. In addition, thesulfonate detergent and polyethoxamer exert solubilizing effects. As anillustration, the omission of the sulfonate detergent from theformulation of Example I described herein results in separation into twolayers, particularly upon storage at elevated temperatures. Thepolyethoxamer has a solubilizing effect also, particularly when higherconcentrations of sulfonate detergent are employed. The triethanolamineor the like exerts an added solubilizing effect and has been found toact as a suds builder in the composition even though it has no foamingproperties by itself. It is a desirable source of sustained alkalinityfor heavy-duty cleaning also. trope varies with the balance of theformula and may serve a multiplicity of functions. It can act as acoupling agent to prevent phase separation and desirably reduces theviscosity, particularly in the presence of carboxymethylcellulose, andimprove aging characteristics.

Certain guiding principles should be used in formulating products withoptimum properties. The solids content should not be excessive as ittends to gel the system. In general, the solubilizing effects of each ofthe main ingredients can be varied by varying its concentration up to amaximum effect beyond which additional amounts would not be helpful andmay even be harmful to the system. With higher amounts of sulfonatedetergent, it may be advisable to add increased amounts of hydrotropicsalt which can be tolerated by the system. Excessive amounts ofhydrotrope or the polyethoxamer tend to produce phase separation, anexcessive amount of sulfonate detergent tends to gel the system and anexcessive amount of the alkanolamine will adversely affect the productalso. Thus, a homogeneous The effect of the hydro-- product can beformulated by suitable proportioning of the ingredients so as tocomplement one another.

It is preferred that the liquid contain a higher fatty acid alkylolamidematerial in a sufiicient amount to act as a suds builder. It has beenfound also that the combination of the above ingredients with a suitableamount of the alkylolamide results in a product which exhibits highlyimproved foaming power in use, particularly in the stability of the foamgenerated during laundering operations. In certain formulations, thealkylolamide may provide an additional solubilizing effect. The acylradical of the alkylolamide is selected from the class of fatty acidshaving 8 to 18 carbons and each alkylol group has up to 3 carbon atomsusually. It is preferred to use the diethanolamides, isopropanolamidesand monoethanolamides of fatty acids having about 10 to 14 carbons inthe acyl radical. Suitable examples are the lauric, capric, myristic andcoconut diethanolamides, monoethanolamides and isopropanolamides, andmixtures thereof. There may be employed also the alkylolamides which aresubstituted by additional alkylol groups, suitable examples being theabove monoethanolamides, diethanolamides and isopropanolamides condensedwith one or two moles of ethylene oxide. In general, the alkylolamidesare employed in amounts of about 1 to 10% by weight, and preferably fromabout 1.5 to 5% in the product. It should not be employed in an amountsufficient to destroy the desired physical properties since it isconsidered as part of the total solids content.

The solids content (which is essentially organic and includes thealkanolamine) of the concentrated liquid product is variable and iswithin the range from about 16 to 60%, preferably 28 to 50% by weight ofthe concentrated liquid, with the balance being primarily water. Theingredients are proportioned in the aqueous solubilizing medium so as toform a substantially homogeneous product of desired physical properties.

The liquid detergent is prepared in any suitable manner by admixture atroom or reasonably elevated temperatures depending upon the specificingredients. A preferred method utilizes room temperature for admixingthe main ingredients to a homogeneous solution. This procedure involvespreparing an aqueous slurry of the alkyl benzene sulfonate essentiallyfree from inorganic salts. A suitable base is an aqueous slurry of 56%solids having sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate in at least about 95% byweight of solids. It is convenient to add additional water at this stageto thin the mixture and facilitate mixing. The hydrotropic salt may beadded as a powder, aqueous solution or slurry with stirring. Aconvenient form is a 44.5% solids slurry of sodium xylene sulfonate ofat least about 90% purity. The liquid triethanolamine or the like andthe polyethoxamer are added in any desired order with stirring. Anyadditional ingredients such as alkylolamide or soilsuspending agents areadded in powdered or solution form as desired with moderate heating ifnecessary to facilitate formation of a homogeneous solution ordispersion. In general, waxy materials such as castor wax should be inmolten or liquid form and added to the aqueous mixture previouslywarmed, e.g. 160 F., to insure ready dispersion.

Various other ingredients may be added as desired in suitable amounts.The liquid should be substantially free from inorganic salts. It is aneffective heavy-duty liquid in the absence of alkaline inorganic buildersalts such as phosphates and silicates. Such salts, particularly thehydrated salts, tend to adversely affect certain physical propertiessuch as low temperature aging characteristics, e.g. small amounts ofhydrated sodium phosphate may cause gelling at moderately reducedtemperatures of 4050 F., but the composition is a homogeneous andeffective heavy-duty liquid upon return to room temperature. If desiredfor a particular purpose suitably small amounts of inorganic salts maybe added or permitted to remain in the product such as up to about 7.5%in certain cases depending upon the specific formulation. Otheringredients employed in suitable amounts include compatible perfumes,coloring materials, corrosion or tarnish inhibitors, sequesteringagents, germicides, softening, bleaching or other textile-treatingagents, fluorescent dyes or optical bleaches; additional viscosity orfoam modifiers or solvents including fatty alcohol, ethanol, urea, otheramides or detergents, or the like provided that they do notsubstantially adversely affect the product.

The following examples are further illustrative of the nature of thepresent invention, and it will be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto. All amounts are by weight unless otherwise specified.

Example I Ingredients: Percent Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate 18Tridecyl polyoxyethylene ethanol 8 Triethanolamine 10 Sodium xylenesulfonate 5 Laurie isopropanolamide 2 Sodium carboxymethylcellulose 0.8Polyvinyl alcohol 0.25 Castor wax 0.3 Fluorescent brightener 0.28 WaterBalance In the above formulation, the dodecyl benzene sulfonate isderived from a propylene tetramer. It is listed above on an activeingredient basis and is substantially free of inorganic salts. Thetridecyl alcohol is derived by the Oxo process as described andcondensed with an average of about 15 moles ethylene oxide. The sodiumxylene sulfonate is on an active basis and is a commercial material ofpurity. It comprises a mixture of the meta-, para-, and ortho-xylenesulfonates with some toluene sulfonate. The carboxymethylcellulose is aknown detergent grade having about 0.7 carboxy groups per glucose unit.It is listed on an active basis also though about 1.2% solid material ofabout 65% purity is used in the formula. The polyvinyl alcohol has aviscosity of about 1.8-3 cps. and about l030% ester content. The castorwax assists in suspending the soilsuspending materials and thefluorescent brighteners are known stilbene sulfonate materials suitablefor detergent use. It is understood that suitable color and perfume maybe added as desired. The product is essentially free of inorganic saltshaving a total of about 0.7% primarily as sodium sulfate. It is preparedby the preferred method previously described and has a specific gravityof about 1.1 and a pH adjusted with caustic soda to 10.5 to 11.

The final formulation is a homogenous, pourable heavyduty liquid at roomtemperature with superior qualities. It is stable upon storage undernormal conditions and at F. and below 50 F. and even to about 25 F.,without separation into a plurality of layers. When the product isfrozen at sufficiently low temperatures, no apparent crystals areseparated and the product returns to a substantially homogeneouscondition upon return to room temperature conditions.

In use, the liquid exhibits a high degree of detergency which has beenfound to be superior to various commercial heavy-duty liquids andpowders, both containing substantial amounts of water-soluble alkalimetal polyphosphate builder salts. The product possesses high sudsingpower, exhibiting a good volume of foam initially which has markedstability in the washing bath.

The soil-suspending materials, wax, amide, and dyes may be omitted fromthe above formulation which is otherwise transparent and can be employedas a foaming heavy-duty liquid exhibiting lower foaming andsoil-suspending properties accordingly.

7 Examples II-VII Other suitable formulations having a pH of 10-11 andshowing particular variations are listed below, the balance of theformulas being substantially the same as Example I:

Ingredients II III IV V VI VII Sodium dodeeyl benzene sulionate 25Sodium tridecyl benzene sulionate nfiul 18 10 Trideo l 01 oxyet y eneetharl ol fl moles) 8 8. 8 8 12 6. 7 4. 4 Triethanolamine 10 ll 10 1O 8.3 5. 6 Sodium xylene sulionate 2. 5 5 5 5 4. 2 2. 7Carboxymethylcellulose 0. 3 0. 3 0. 8 0. 8 0. 66 0. 4 Trisodiumphosphate 3 Example VIII The formulation of Example II is diluted withwater to form two products having 15% and 10% alkyl benzene sulfonaterespectively, and these formulations are satisfactory also.

- Example IX The formulation of Example I is repeated except that thefollowing approximate proportions were used for the ingredientsspecified below.

Ingredients: Percent Sodium tridecyl benzene sulfonate 5 Tridecylpolyethoxamer (15 moles) 15 Triethanolamine 10 Sodium xylene sulfonate2.5

A formulation similar to Example II is prepared substituting thetridecyl (Oxo) polyoxyethylene ethanol having an average of about 10moles ethylene oxide as the non-ionic material. This formulation issatisfactory also.

What is claimed is:

1. A detergent composition which consists essentially of about 10 to 40%by weight of a mixture of a watersoluble alkyl mononuclear arylsulfonate detergent salt having about 8 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkylgroup and a multi-branched alkyl polyoxyethylene ethanol having about 8to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl group which has a molecularconfiguration corresponding to that in the saturated aliphatic alcoholproduced by the Oxo process from a polymerized olefin of 3 to 4 carbonsand an average of about 5 to moles of ethylene oxide, the ratio of saidalkyl aryl sulfonate to polyethoxamer being from about 10:1 to 1:4 byweight with at least 3% of each material being present in thecomposition, 5 to 20% by weight of a water-soluble alkanolamine having 2to 3 carbons in the alkanol group, about 1 to 15 by weight of aWater-soluble alkali metal lower alkyl substituted benzene sulfonatehydrotropic salt having up to 3 carbons in each alkyl group, and thebalance being primarily water, said composition having an alkaline pHand being in the form of a substantially homogeneous, pourable liquid.

2. A detergent composition in accordance with claim 1 which contains analkali metal alkyl benezene sulfonate detergent salt and multi-branchedalkyl polyoxyethylene ethanol having about 11 to 15 carbon atoms in thealkyl group which has a molecular configuration corresponding to that inthe saturated aliphatic alcohol produced by the Oxo process from apolymerized olefin of 3 to 4 carbons and an average of about 5 to 30moles of ethylene oxide, and about 5 to 20% by weight of an alkanolaminecomprising essentially triethanolamine, about 1 to 15% by weight ofalkali metal lower alkyl substituted benzene sulfonate hydrotropic salthaving up to 3 carbons in said alkyl group, and the balance beingprimarily water, the composition having a pH from 9 to 12 and being inthe form of a substantially homogeneous, pourable liquid.

3. A liquid detergent composition in accordance with claim 2 whereinsaid hydrotropic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodiumand potassium toluene and xylene sulfonates.

4. A liquid detergent composition in accordance with claim 2 whichcontains about 1 to 10% by weight of alkylolamide selected from thegroup consisting of dieth anolamides, monoethanolamides andisopropanolamides of fatty acids having 10 to 14 carbons in the acylradical.

5. A liquid detergent composition in accordance with claim 2 which hasincorporated therein about 0.1 to 2% by weight of water-solublesoil-suspending material selected from the group consisting of alkalimetal carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose,hydroxyethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

6. A detergent composition in accordance with claim 5 which containssodium carboxymethylcellulose.

7. A detergent composition which consists essentially of about 20 to 30%by weight of a mixture of sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate having anaverage of 12 to 15 carbons in the alkyl groups and Oxo tridecylpolyoxyethylene ethanol having an average of about 10 to 20 molesethylene oxide in a ratio from 5:1 to 1:1 by weight, 7 to 12% by weightof an alkali metal hydrotropic salt selected from the group consistingof xylene and toluene sulfonates, 0.1 to 2% by weight of sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose and 1.5 to 5% of a higher fatty acid alkylolamidehaving 10 to 14 carbons in the acyl radical and 2 to 3 carbons in thealkylol group, and the balance being primarily water, said compositionhaving a pH of 10 to 11, a solids content of 28 to 50%, and in the formof a substantially homogeneous and stable, pourable liquid havingheavy-duty properties in the absence of Watersoluble inorganic salts asbuilders.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,914,482 11/1959Kopp 252-l52 2,932,617 4/1960 Lamberti et a1. 252-152 XR 2,934,5684/1960 Barker 252- 152 XR 2,943,058 6/1960 Cook 252-152 XR 2,970,9632/1961 Walker 252-152 XR LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS GREENWALD, Examiner.

J. T. FEDIGAN, M. WEINBLATT,

Assistant Examiners.

1. A DETERGENT COMPOSITION WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF ABOUT 10 TO 40%BY WEIGHT OF A MIXTURE OF A WATERSOLUBLE ALKYL MONONUCLEAR ARYLSULFONATE DETERGENT SALT HAVING ABOUT 8 TO 15 CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYLGROUP AND A MULTI-BRANCHED ALKYL POLYOXYETHYLENE ETHANOL HAVING ABOUT 8TO 18 CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYL GROUP WHICH HAS A MOLECULARCONFIGURATION CORRESPONDING TO THAT IN THE SATURATED ALIPHATIC ALCOHOLPRODUCED BY THE OXO PROCESS FROM A POLYMERIZED OLEFIN OF 3 TO 4 CARBONSAND AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 5 TO 30 MOLES OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, THE RATIO OFSAID ALKYL ARYL SULFONATE TO POLYETHOXAMER BEING FROM ABOUT 10:1 TO 1:4BY WEIGHT WITH AT LEAST 3% OF EACH MATERIAL BEING PRESENT IN THECOMPOSITION, 5 TO 20% BY WEIGHT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE ALKANOLAMINE HAVING 2TO 3 CARBONS IN THE ALKANOL GROUP, ABOUT 1 TO 15% BY WEIGHT OF AWATER-SOLUBLE ALKALI METAL LOWER ALKYL SUBSTITUTED BENZENE SULFONATEHYDROTROPIC SALT HAVING UP TO 3 CARBONS IN EACH ALKYL GROUP, AND THEBALANCE BEING PRIMARILY WATER, SAID COMPOSITION HAVING AN ALKALINE PHAND BEING IN THE FORM OF A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS, POURABLE LIQUID.